Ammannia baccifera

2. Ammannia baccifera View in CoL L. — Fig. 1 View Fig

Ammannia baccifera View in CoL L. (1753) 120; Koehne (1903) 53; Gagnep. (1921) 967, f. 105: 3; Backer (1930) 464; Craib (1931) 715; Backer (1964) 253; (1973) pl. 438;S.A. Graham (1985) 405; Soerjani et al. (1987) 338,f. 4.154; Hewson (1990) 97; P.H. Hô (1992) 31, f. 3681; Verdc. (1994) 45; H.N.Qin & S.A. Graham (2007) 275; H.N. Qin et al. (2008) f. 292: 1–4. — Lectotype ( Graham 1985): LINN 156.4, “Habitat in China. Osbeck”.

Ammannia indica Lam. (1791) View in CoL 311. — Hapalocarpum indicum (Lam.) Miq. (1856) View in CoL 618. — Type: Sonnerat s.n., in herb. Lamarck (holo P, barcode P00297859), India.

Ammannia vesicatoria Roxb. (1820) 447; (1832) 426; Moritzi (1846) 12. — Hapalocarpum vesicatorium (Roxb.) Miq. (1856) 618. — Type: Roxburgh s.n. (not seen).

Cryptotheca apetala Blume (1826) View in CoL 1129. — Type: Blume s.n., Java, “ad flumen Tjidanie cerca Tjikao”, not found.

Erect, annual, glabrous herb, 10–40(–100) cm tall, often branch- ed from the base, branches ascending; stem ± 4-angular, not winged. Leaves (sometimes alternate) sessile; lamina (nar- rowly) elliptic or oblanceolate, 1–7 by 0.2–0.8(–1.5) cm, base narrowed (broad at base in var. aegyptiaca (Willd.) Koehne , Africa), apex (sub)acute,1-nerved. Inflorescences compact few- or many-flowered thyrses, peduncle 1–2 mm long. Flowers greenish, 4-merous; pedicel 0.5–2.5 mm long, bracteoles min- ute; calyx tube narrowly campanulate, 1–1.5 mm long, 8-ribbed; lobes purplish at apex, wide-triangular, 0.5–1 mm long; calyx appendages (almost) absent; petals absent; stamens 4, inserted about halfway the calyx tube, as long as calyx lobes or shorter; ovary 1-locular, globose, style short, to 0.3 mm long; placenta central. Capsules covered for (over) halfway by the persistent calyx, (depressed) globose, 1(–2) mm diam. Seeds red, numerous, concave-convex, c. 0.3 mm diam.

Distribution — Widespread: Africa, S & SE Asia ( China, type), Australia; introduced in America and Europe; in Malesia: widespread.

Habitat & Ecology — Lowland; soggy rice fields, wet open places. Flowering and fruiting all year round.

Malesian material examined. PENINSULAR MALAYSIA, Sinclair 10701 (Johore). – SUMATRA, Asdat 198;De Wilde & Duyfjes 4095;Iwatsuki et al. S 1534;Lörzing 12932; Meijer 5690a. – JAVA, Backer 7807,15328, 20479 (Madoera), 27798 (Kangean), 33033, 36571, 36854, 37134, s.n. L0931491; Blume 112b, s.n. L0931494, s.n. L0931495, s.n. L0931496, s.n. L0931682, s.n. L2478462; Boerlage s.n. L0931489; Clason A50, 142, 173, 226, 233; Coert 483; De Voogd s.n. L2478376;Hoogerwerf s.n. L2478372;Kievits 2488,2509;Kooper 526; Koorders 28281, 40915 (Bantam); Kuhl & Van Hasselt s.n. L0931490; Radermacher s.n. L2478371, s.n. L2478372, s.n. L2478464. – PHILIPPINES, Luzon, Hallier 4361; Iwatsuki et al. P 26; McGregor BS 41462; Merrill 425, 775; Milicante 71; Ramos BS 2691; Mindanao,Edaño PNH 11314. – LESSER SUNDA ISLANDS, Sumba, Monod de Froideville 2002; Verheijen 4177; Pulau Roti, Verheijen 2441; Timor, Kooy 34, 920; Riedlé s.n. L0931683; Schmutz 2390; Van Steenis 18200; Walsh 486; Tanimbar, Buwalda 4670 (Pulau Jamdena). – IRIAN JAYA, Edwards et al. 4095. – PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Schodde 2618.

Notes — Ammannia vesicatoria is according to Roxburgh (1820, 1832) an exceedingly acrid herb. We have not perceived this character (‘acrid’) in living specimens in the wild.

The specimens under Wallich 2098 belong to the present species A. baccifera , but we have no indications that they are original specimens for Roxburgh’s name vesicatoria .